At an Audi plant in Brussels that is threatened with closure, employees have stolen the keys to around 200 vehicles. They want to force management to provide clarity about the future of the site, as the Belgian news agency Belga reports. Until this happens, no car will leave the plant.
Audi reportedly does not want to accept the blackmail and has threatened to press charges if the keys are not returned by Monday afternoon. The people responsible can be identified using surveillance camera footage.
Audi announced in July that it could not rule out the cessation of operations in Brussels. The reason given was weak demand for the Q8 e-tron electric SUVs produced at the plant.
The site recently employed around 3,000 people. Their worries were heightened again last Tuesday when the Audi parent company Volkswagen announced that no other model will be produced in Brussels in the next few years.
According to the union, employees have already responded with work stoppages in recent days, preventing production from resuming after the summer break. A major day of protest is planned for September 16. (dpa)
